[Armin barely knows what he's apologizing for, he just thinks he probably should. His heart feels swollen, too big for the narrow cavity of his chest. He cannot make his voice work the way it wants, even though he is standing still against a wall he feels as though he is tumbling and squawking. He's upset by the implications of this, feeling cornered. Being what Erwin and Levi have expected means he will fall, perhaps forever forever, in Jean's sights. But he isn't confident that he can come up with solutions that aren't vicious. He is motivated by a very real fear of losing, but losing might not mean annihilation here. Whatever his reasons are back home, he should try to be gentler here.
Yet he's also... what? Proud? Happy? that Jean gives a damn about him enough to keep on with these lectures, because he works so hard at pretending he doesn't.]
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[Armin barely knows what he's apologizing for, he just thinks he probably should. His heart feels swollen, too big for the narrow cavity of his chest. He cannot make his voice work the way it wants, even though he is standing still against a wall he feels as though he is tumbling and squawking. He's upset by the implications of this, feeling cornered. Being what Erwin and Levi have expected means he will fall, perhaps forever forever, in Jean's sights. But he isn't confident that he can come up with solutions that aren't vicious. He is motivated by a very real fear of losing, but losing might not mean annihilation here. Whatever his reasons are back home, he should try to be gentler here.
Yet he's also... what? Proud? Happy? that Jean gives a damn about him enough to keep on with these lectures, because he works so hard at pretending he doesn't.]
I am listening.
[Armin does manage to look up at Jean, now.]
Promise.